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POPOL VUH: LITERAL TRANSLATION by Allen J

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POPOL VUH: LITERAL TRANSLATION by Allen J Mesoweb Publications POPOL VUH: LITERAL TRANSLATION By Allen J. Christenson THIS ITS ROOT ANCIENT WORD, ARE' U XE' OJER TZIJ, Here Quiché its name. Waral K'iche' u b'i'. HERE we shall write, WARAL xchiqatz'ib'aj1 wi,2 We shall plant ancient word, Xchiqatikib'a' wi ojer tzij, Its planting, U tikarib'al, Its root-beginning as well, U xe'nab'al puch, Everything done in Ronojel xb'an pa Citadel Quiché, Tinamit K'iche', Its nation Quiché people. Ramaq' K'iche' winaq. This therefore we shall gather Are' k'ut xchiqak'am wi 10 3Its being manifested, U k'utunisaxik, Its being declared, U q'alajob'isaxik, Its being expressed as well, U tzijoxik puch, Means of sowing, Awaxib'al,4 Means of dawning, Saqirib'al, By Framer, Rumal Tz'aqol, Shaper; B'itol; She Who Has Borne Children, Alom, He Who Has Begotten Sons, their names. K'ajolom, ki b'i'. 1 The prefix xchi- is no longer used in modern K'iche'. It was used in the Popol Vuh text to indicate the certainty of a future action or event, as in “it shall be done.” 2 Wi has no English equivalent. It may be used as a directional indicator, a marker to connote certainty, or a means of giving added emphasis to a verb. 3 This is an example of a parallel triplet arrangement, which is comparatively rare in the text. Not only are each of the three ideas parallel in lines 11-13, but they are grammatically parallel as well, each verb appearing in the passive voice. 4 The manuscript reads euaxibal (that which is hidden). This is likely a scribal error for auaxibal (that which is sown). Throughout the text, sowing and dawning are paired as referents to the creation (see lines 196-197, 209-210, 442-443, 543-544, 612-613, 1653-1654, and 5091-5092) . 2007 Popol Vuh: Literal Translation. Electronic version of original 2004 publication. Mesoweb: www.mesoweb.com/publications/Christenson/PV-Literal.pdf. Hunahpu Possum, Junajpu Wuch', 20 Hunahpu Coyote, Junajpu Utiw, White Great Peccary, Saqi Nim Aq, Coati, Sis,5 Sovereign, Tepew, Quetzal Serpent, Q'ukumatz, Its Heart Lake, U K'u'x Cho, Its Heart Sea, U K'u'x Palo, He/She of Blue/Green Plate, Aj Raxa Laq, He/She of Blue/Green Bowl, as they are called, Aj Raxa Sel,6 chuchaxik, Together named, Rach b'i'xik, 30 Together expressed these: Rach tzijoxik ri': Midwife, I'yom, Patriarch, Mamom, Xpiyacoc7 Xpiyakok, Xmucane8, their names, Xmuqane, u b'i', Protector, Matzanel, Shelterer, Chuqenel, Twice Midwife, Kamul I'yom, Twice Patriarch, Kamul Mamom, They are called Chuchaxik 40 In Quiché words. Pa K'iche' tzij. Then they expressed everything, Ta xkitzijoj ronojel, 5 The manuscript reads tzÿz here, although elsewhere in the text it reads zÿz. The manuscript interchanges tz with z frequently. 6 The manuscript reads tzel, another example of tz/z substitution. Zel is the more common spelling in the manuscript, and this is the pronunciation used among the modern K'iche'. 7 This passage was the first example of chiasmus that I found in the Popol Vuh. Throughout the document, female deities are listed before male deities when paired in parallel couplets. It thus made little sense that Xpiyacoc, the name of the grandfather god, would be written before that of Xmucane, his female counterpart. When it is recognized that the passage is arranged as a chiasm, or reverse parallism, the confusion disappears. 8 In this chiastic arrangement, Xmucane is paired with her title as “midwife” in line 32. 2 With it they did also, Ruk' xkib'an chik, In light existence, Chi saqil k'olem, Light words. Saqil tzij. This we shall write Wa'e xchiqatz'ib'aj Within now his voice God, Chupan chik u ch'ab'al Dios, In Christianity now. Pa christianoil chik. We shall bring it forth, Xchiqelesaj, Because there is not now Rumal maja b'i chik 50 Means of seeing of Popol Vuh, Ilb'al re Popo Wuj,9 Means of seeing clearly Ilb'al saq Come from across sea, Petenaq ch'aqa palo, Its account our obscurity, U tzijoxik qa mujib'al, Means of seeing light life, as it is said. Ilb'al saq k'aslem, chuchaxik. There is original book anciently written also, K'o nab'e wujil ojer tz'ib'am puch, Merely hidden his face Xa ewal u wach Witness of it, Ilol re, Ponderer of it. B'isol re. Great its performance, Nim u pe'oxik, 60 Its account as well, U tzijoxik puch, When will be completed Ta chik'is Germination, Tz'uk, All sky, Ronojel kaj, Earth. Ulew. 10Its four cornerings, U kaj tz'ukuxik, Its four sidings, U kaj xukutaxik, Its measurings, Retaxik, Its four stakings, U kaj che'xik, Its doubling over cord measurement, U mej k'a'amaxik, 70 Its stretching cord measurement, U yuq k'a'amaxik, 9 The manuscript reads popo vuh. Elsewhere in the text it is referred to as popol vuh (line 8278). 10 The next four lines are organized into a parallel quatrain, perhaps to emphasize the creation of the four corners and sides of earth and sky by the gods. Thus the poetic structure of the passage is organized into four-fold symmetry reflecting the four-fold nature of the universe. 3 Its womb sky, U pa kaj, Its womb earth. U pa ulew. Four corners, Kaj tz'uk, Four sides, as it is said, Kaj xukut, chuchaxik, By the Framer, Rumal ri Tz'aqol, Shaper, B'itol, Its Mother, U chuch, Its Father, U qajaw, Life,11 K'aslem, 80 Creation, Winaqirem, Giver of breath, Ab'anel, Giver of heart, K'u'xlanel, Birth giver of, Alay rech, Heartener of K'u'xlay rech Light Forever, Saqil amaq'il, Light Child of Woman, Saqil al, Light Son of Man, Saqil k'ajol, Ponderer, Aj b'is, Knower Aj na'oj 90 To everything, Chirech ronojel, Whatever exists: Atok'ol wi: Sky, Kaj, Earth, Ulew, Lake, Cho, Sea. Palo. 11 In the K'iche' language, verbs may be nominalized in a number of ways by adding an appropriate prefix or suffix to the verb's root form. The following series of parallel couplets are arranged in such a way that various nominalization prefixes and suffixes are paired. Lines 80-81 use the suffix -em, which converts the verb roots into gerunds; lines 82-83 use the suffix -el, which converts the verb roots into person agents (a “doer” of the verb's action); lines 84-85 use the suffix -ay, which is an alternative means of nominalizing verbs into the person agent form; lines 89-90 use the prefix aj, which indicates that the person agent has that verb as his/her principal occupation. 4 THIS ITS ACCOUNT ARE' U TZIJOXIK These things. Wa'e. Still be it silent, K'a katz'ininoq, Still be it placid, K'a kachamamoq, 100 It is silent, Katz'inonik, Still it is calm, K'a kasilanik, Still it is hushed, K'a kalolinik, Be it empty as well its womb sky. Katolona' puch u pa kaj. THESE therefore are first words, WA'E k'ut e nab'e tzij, First speech. Nab'e ucha'n. There is not yet one person, Maja b'i'oq jun winaq, One animal, Jun chikop, Bird,12 Tz'ikin, Fish, Kar, 110 Crab, Tap, Tree, Che', Rock, Ab'aj Hollow, Jul, Canyon, Siwan, Meadow, K'im, Forest. K'eche'laj. Merely alone sky exists, Xa u tukel kaj k'olik, Not clear its face earth, Mawi q'alaj u wach ulew, Merely alone is spread out sea, Xa u tukel remanik palo, 120 Its womb sky everything. U pa kaj ronojel. There is not anything Maja b'i naqi la' Gathered together, Kamolob'ik, It is at rest, Kakotz'ob'ik, Not one stirs, Jun ta kasilob'ik, Scattered it is made to be, Kamal kab'antaj, At rest it is made to be in sky. Kakotz' kab'antaj pa kaj. 12 Lines 109-117 are a list of the first creations with no apparent parallelism involved. 5 There was not yet anything that exists standing erect. Xma k'o wi naqi la' k'olik yakalik. Merely spread out water, Xa remanik ja', Merely tranquil sea, Xa li'anik palo, 130 Merely alone it is spread out. Xa u tukel remanik. There was not yet anything that might exist. Xma k'o wi naqi la' lo k'olik. Merely it is placid, Xa kachamanik, It is silent, Katz'ininik, In darkness, Chi q'equ'm, In night. Chi aq'ab'. Merely alone the Framer, Xa u tukel ri Tz'aqol, Shaper, B'itol, Sovereign, Tepew, Quetzal Serpent, Q'ukumatz, 140 They Who Have Borne Children, E Alom, They Who Have Begotten Sons, E K'ajolom, Are in water. K'o pa ja'. Luminous they are, Saqtetoj e k'o wi. Covered in quetzal feathers, E muqutal pa q'uq', In cotinga feathers. Pa raxon. This his having been named Are' u b'i'nam wi The Quetzal Serpent. Ri Q'ukumatz. Great sages, E nima'q eta'manel, Great knowers in their essence. E nima'q aj na'oj chi ki k'oje'ik. 150 Thus surely there is the sky, Keje' k'ut xax k'o wi ri kaj, There is also its Heart Sky. K'o nay puch u K'u'x Kaj. This his name Are' u b'i' The god as it is said. Ri k'ab'awil chuchaxik. THEN came therefore his word here, TA xpe k'ut u tzij waral, He arrived with them Xul kuk' The Sovereign, Ri Tepew, Quetzal Serpent, Q'ukumatz, 6 Here in darkness, Waral chi q'equ'mal, In night.
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